Finance board faces tough budget choice

Nanci G. Hutson

Updated 10:36 pm, Wednesday, March 6, 2013

BROOKFIELD -- Opening night for Board of Finance budget deliberations made it clear that these elected officials face some big hurdles in crafting a town and school budget this year.

As in nearly every other town in the area, school security is a hot-button topic.

During the first 30 to 45 minutes of the board's first session on the proposed $59.3 million budget for fiscal 2013-14, there were appeals from parents and a couple students to protect the school district's students with specially trained, armed police in all four schools.

Though several applauded the Board of Selectmen for allocating $125,000 for one school resource officer next year, some do not believe that is enough. No matter what school building improvements are made -- town and school leaders have invested $100,000 and expect to spend more than $200,000 more on various security and surveillance upgrades --these parents and students say that without armed police in the schools, they will not feel adequately secure after the mass shooting in Newtown on Dec. 14.

On that day, gunman Adam Lanza, 20, blasted his way into the Sandy Hook Elementary School after killing his mother at their home and murdered 20 first-graders and six of their teachers and administrators. Lanza then killed himself.

Brookfield parent Angela Termotto pleaded with the finance board members to be "a hero for our children, our most precious gifts.'' She and others want school resource officers for all four schools.

"An officer's presence will make our children feel safer in a time of complete heartache and absolute fear,'' Termotto read from a letter. "They will feel less scared to be in school, the place they are aware that young, elementary school children were shot and killed, if they feel there is a young, friendly officer at their school to protect them.''

Advocate Melissa Marici noted some daily security issues that now exist, and said school resource officers can be a buffer when physical measures are not enough.

"We are talking about the most basic of liberties: the right to feel secure and safe in our everyday life. Our town is responsible for ensuring this right. It is our most basic duty,'' Marici said.

First Selectman Bill Davidson followed the parents' appeal with his presentation of a budget he admits asks a lot of taxpayers in the coming year. The total town and education package seeks a 4.5 percent spending increase.

"Am I happy with that? No. But I absolutely believe this is the best budget for the town,'' Davidson said, noting school and town budgets have averaged 2.5 percent increases over the last several years.

"There are no easy solutions right now,'' he said. "I do not envy them their task.''